I am probably ten years behind when it comes to muzzleloader technology.

I just picked up a cheapo CVA wolf and put a nice redfield scope on it. This thing is so much easier to shoot than my old side hammer T/C or ancient Knight rifle.

I have been shooting triple 7 pellets and primers with Hornady sabots and have been impressed with the accuracy from the bench.

What powders are you guys using? white hots, blackhorn 209? Anything new and better out there in terms of accuracy and less fouling?

Blackhorn 209 pushing a 50 cal. 240 gr XTP and I love it!

Swiss!!!! Its good stuff!!!

For side hammer guns, black powder is my first choice, FF or FFF depending on what you like.

In-lines, any of the black powder subs will do the trick. Pellets are the easiest but harder to dial in a load. Pyrodex or T-7 will be the easiest to find. Shockeys Gold, White Hots, BlackHorn 209 are usually the hardest to find.

Loose powder will allow for smaller adjustments for better accuracy.

A standard load that shoots pretty good in all .50's is 80 grain powder, 250-300 grain bullet.

And of course there is the evil smokeless muzzle loader which shoot smokeless powder.


I have all 3 types, side hammers, modern in-lines and smokeless. So far Ive killed deer this year with 2 out of 3 of them. h.h.

Another vote for Swiss 3F in all my MLers. I usually stock up during the Spring shoot at Friendship.

I have a feeling I'll be picking up a couple extra jugs next Spring...huh Yaz?

Seems to have worked out pretty well on a couple of deer this week!!!

When we gonna see 'em Yaz?!?
Been waiting since yest!!

Last year I bought 10 lbs of Olde Eynsford from Powder Inc. OE is Goex's version of Swiss. I tested 3F OE against 3F Goex and OE was around 100 fps faster using the same load. Swiss uses a special alder wood to make their charcoal. I really like new/high tech hunting equipment but I still like to make smoke. h.h.

You mean you actually killed something....???? Inquiring minds want to know.... h.h.

Be patient...it's worth waiting for..

HOLY SMOKIN BUCK BATMAN!

Now that's what I'm talkin bout!!
Thanks Weed..... and CONGRATS to YAZ!!!

Yaz will share with everyone once the old fart rests up...

I'm pretty impressed by my second hand CVA Wolf. It likes 80-90 grains BH 209 with 240 grain TC Shockwave bullet and CCi hot 209 primer.
Less smoke and recoil is good for me.
Might be my most accurate gun.

White hots paired with Barnes sabots. Best shooting combo I can find out of my CVA Wolf.

you rested yet yaz? I want some good pics..

as for the topic I still use the triple 7 pellets and barnes expanders..

Triple 7 pellets and tc 300 gr shockwave out of the cva optima pro. I can say dad shoots those hornadays in 250 gr and they are terrible on blood trails. Two big bucks and they barely ran out of sight and they were hard to find. Thinkin we are switching to the Barnes expanders

if you like the shockwaves, you will love the barnes expanders,i switched to them after getting horrible blood trails from shockwaves..

Those Barnes Expanders are bad-azz bullets!

Barns Expanders shoot like a house-a-fire! Open perfect every time, and retain almost 100% of their original weight! I will shoot nothing else!

Ive got around 300-400 of the Expanders and Spitfires and have shot them since the first came out. Out of my smokeless Savage @ 2400 fps they put the smack down on deer. I sometimes use the Spitfires when I plan on hunting a spot that might have a long shot because the Spitfires have a better BC than the Expanders. Never have to worry about a Barnes bullet fragging out like a jacketed bullet will. h.h.

In my traditions inline I use 2 777 pellets and a 245 gr Powerbelt with the green tip....I can stack 3 rounds at 50 yds and at 100yds they group 1"-1.5" with a few touching.......I sight it in so that I'm 2" high at 50 yds which puts me about dead on at 100 yds.....however, it's been about 4 years since I used it as I now primarily Bowhunt....but the rifle is a tack driver with the 3x9x40 Bushnell Trophy on it.....

100gr.Triple 7 pellets & primers. 240 gr.Hornady XTP out of a 1997 TC Encore

im a convert. nothing but the holy black from here on out. yall can have your subs. Im done with them after I burn up my last box of pyro in my inline.....pretty much done with those too. Got the flintlock bug.

Guess I gotta try barnes expanders? I shot a buck 2 years ago 30 yards away dead center in the chest, and the shockwave hit and ran down the front of the deer and NEVER ENTERED THE CHEST CAVITY!

I know that's probably not choice #1 for shot placement, but I never guessed it wouldn't penetrate the chest? Deer climbed a big ridge and vanished. I waited an hour and was about to get down and look for blood, he literally rolled back down the hill and was laying on the ground alive.

After having very small if any blood trails and zero knock downs...this experience ended my relationship with shockwaves.

Here is what they will do to a yote.

I use 275gr.Parker Ballistic Supreme's in my Smokeless Ultralight muzzleloader. They are extremely accurate and never fail to take a deer down.

2. 777,s 240 xtp of a TC Omega done well on over 50 deep

Just using regular black powder out of the T/C Renegade I got off Weed this last summer and a lead conical I think is 350grni forget. Thing is a shooter and a lot of fun!

Out of my knight inline I just shoot the 777 pellets 100gr and a 300gr Hornady SST. That worked well last year on 3 deer.

I'd like to try a flinter someday like TD, but I've gotta get one with the sidelock first.

I'm eyeballing another rocklock at a nearby pawn shop.

I'm going to give a nno scientific account of using the powder pellets.


Several years ago at one of the events the IDHA did an informational "show and tell" of legal deer loads we put a charge of 100 grain(2) pellets in a clear tube and a 300 grain sabot on top of it. After setting two weeks the powder had condenced and there was an obvious air pocket!


I ONLY use Shockey Triple Seven powder and seat my bullet firmly on that charge. NO air space for me!

Sounds good Dave! I could see having several lol! Some of them are real lookers.

Ive shot the blackhorn 209 the last 2 years and have no complaints. In fact when i first bought it I shot like 12-15 shots without cleaning it just to see if everything i had read was true and it was. Still easy to load and accuracy was just as good.

I am going to try the blackhorn, I had 2 misfire yesterday morning on 2 coyotes...darn wet 777

Fyi on bh209 you need to use a standard 209 primer not a clean burning ml primer. Also must ensure flame channel of breach plug is very clean. Do these things and congrats on switching to new powder for the last time ever. The stuff is amazing in my opinion. Clean with regular solvent and multiple shots without swabbing. Also it burns hotter than many powders. My traditions loves 90 gr pushing Barnes 250gr tez expander.

call me a liar. lol

Walmart had pyrodex rs on clearance. I bought a pound for my bp shotgun and renegade to play with until I make the trip south for some more goex

My experience is that a BH 209 will also misfire when moisture exposed😞